126 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



tuted, in record time, another substantial pay raise. And, incidentally, they ad- 

 vised the Albat7-oss crew of the new wage rates at the same time that they 

 announced the deactivation of the vessel. In the same breath, literally, the 

 crew were given a substantial wage increase and fired ! Actually, in the case 

 of the Albatross III, it has been pointed out that as a result of a drastic reduc- 

 tion-in-force order, reducing the number of crew members substantially, the 

 subsequent pay increases effected the overall salary budget for the vessel con- 

 siderably less than the report would tend to make us believe. 



The layup of the Albatross on such short notice is a real catastrophe for some 

 of the men involved. Sure, they can find other work, in time. But they have 

 gotten away from commercial fishing, lost their contacts, and passed up higher- 

 paying jobs for the ultimate security and satisfaction that they expected from 

 Government service. Several men who have been hospitalized for injuries or 

 illnesses suffered in Government service now find themselves out of a job and 

 owing the U.S. Government several hundred dollars for advanced sick leave. 

 They have been ordered to sign releases permitting the Government to withhold 

 accumulated retirement benefits and annual leave payments. 



In one instance, a man sick in Brighton Marine Hospital was mailed papers 

 to sign permitting the Service to advance him sick leave to cover his extended 

 period of illness. He signed them in good faith, not expecting the vessel to be 

 laid up scarcely two weeks after he returned to work. Certainly responsible 

 men within the Service contemplated the deactivation of the Albatross months 

 before the crew and public were advised. This being the case, it seems highly 

 illogical and most careless of those in management to encourage the man to 

 take advanced sick leave. 



When the vessel's crew were called together to receive their final separation 

 papers, men owing sick leave were requested to sign away their pension fund 

 and accumulated annual leave. This is money they will need to support their 

 families while looking for work. In the case noted above the man was told it 

 would go hard with him if he did not sign the release on the spot, after he had 

 requested permission to take the form home to discuss with his wife a method 

 of paying over $400 back to the Government. After signing away all the benefits 

 he had coming, the man admittedly could not give the Government a check or 

 money order to fulfill the claim. But he was forced to sign the release over 

 a handwritten statement, dictated by a regional administrative officer, to the 

 effect that he needed additional time in which to pay the Government claim. 



At this same separation meeting each of the crew members was handed a 

 blue form No. 52 and told to sign his name anywhere on the back. In response 

 to questions about the form, the regional administrative officer said it was not 

 important, "Don't bother to fill it out, just sign your names on the back so 

 we'll know where to send your checks and how to reach you in the event we 

 have a job for you." On closer inspection, it was discovered that form No. 52 

 is a request for personnel action, in short, a resignation form. When several men 

 questioned the signing of this form, all were told they did not have to sign 

 the form, plain paper would do as well. Was this subterfuge? 



In the case of the chief officer of the Albatross, the arl)itrary action of de- 

 activating the Albatross came less than a month before the completion of his 

 fifth year of service, thus depriving him of his right to a future aimuity. This 

 injustice is even more odious when considered in the light of the man's age, 

 which is 65. Certainly arrangements could have been made to keep this man 

 on duty for another month. 



The master of tlie vessel is 2 weeks short of completing a full year of active 

 duty. His retention points are 1-f-. He has not received a i>erformance rating, 

 although this could conceivably increase his retention points to .".. Why? 



The statement on page 10 of the report to the effect thnt the Dclan-cre will 

 be able to accommodate additional crew membi'rs without tlifficulty is a strange 

 and irre.sponsible one. A poll of the officers and crew of either vessel, the re- 

 search biologists, or any impartial observer would belie the statement, most 

 emphatically. A vast amount of money uuist be spent to increase her accommoda- 

 tions and install the most meager facilities. No amount of money could make her 

 equal to the Albatross as a research vessel. 



Certainly the Service needs new reseai-ch vessels. Attempting to convert a 

 naval ship, except in an emergency, as a stopgap measure, would be too costly 

 and very unrewarding. But on swoiul thought, does the Service need research 

 vessels at all? Or, indeed, is it equipped with the know-how to operate ocean- 

 going vessels? The largest and best equipped, yes, the only fully found deep 

 sea research vessel the Government owns is now being dismantled in Boston, 



